1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for separating a solution that separate a higher concentration of alcohol mainly from an alcohol solution such as sake (Japanese rice wine) or sake raw materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
The inventors of the present invention have developed an apparatus for separating alcohol which is a target material exhibiting a property of surface excess (See JP-A-2001-314724).
With this type of separating apparatus, an ultrasonic atomization chamber with a closed structure is filled with an alcohol solution, and the alcohol solution in the ultrasonic atomization chamber is atomized into a mist by means of ultrasonic oscillation with an ultrasonic oscillator. The separating apparatus aggregates and collects the atomized mist, and separates a higher concentration of alcohol solution. More specifically, the separating apparatus separates a higher concentration of alcohol solution as a target material in the following operation.
With alcohol, which quickly moves to the surface and exhibits a property of surface excess, the concentration of alcohol is high at the surface. When the solution is oscillated in this state by ultrasonic oscillation, fine liquid droplets are ejected into air as a mist from the surface of the solution by ultrasonic oscillation energy. The mist ejected into the air has a higher concentration of alcohol. The reason is that the solution at its surface with a higher concentration of alcohol is ejected as the mist. Therefore, a solution with a higher concentration of alcohol can be separated by aggregating and collecting the mist. With this method, a high concentration of alcohol solution can be separated without heating the solution. Thus, a target material can be separated at a high concentration. Furthermore, since heating is not necessary, the separating apparatus has an advantage in that the target material can be separated without deterioration in quality.